Love can be murder
by GinaGold fan
Summary: 7. Smithy and Alexs' relationship is tested to its limits when their lives are endangered when Pete Larson escapes from prison. Will either of them make it out alive? and if they do, will there relationship be the same? Please read and review. Thanks.
1. Chapter 1

**Thank you to all those who reviewed my previous fic. This is the** **next story in the series.**

**This fic concentrates on Smithy and his thoughts and emotions as he tries to cope when his familys' lives are endangered.**

He couldn't see anything as he treaded slowly and carefully in the darkness. He tried not to stand on the shards of broken glass and large planks of wood that were scattered across the floor. The air smelt damp and musty.

As he crept further down the dark passage, he could hear raised voices. He could distinctly hear a mans voice and a young woman whimper as the man shouted. Heading closer in the direction of the voices, the passage grew lighter.

_Nearly there now… just a little further… _He thought.

He finally made it to the door and stood outside it very quietly. It was slightly a jar so he managed to see the man inside; as hard as he tried though, he couldn't see the woman. He stood and watched the other man as he walked out of the room through another door on the left. He had a gun in his hands and he looked like he wouldn't be afraid to use it.

Steeling his chance he ran into the room to try and rescue the young woman. When he ran in he saw her body slumped in the middle of the floor. He ran to her side and checked for a pulse.

"Oh no… please don't do this to me, please…" He said, but then froze when he heard a sharp click sound from behind his head.

"Well, Sergeant Smith how nice of you to join us." The man said, pointing his gun at Smithy.

Smithy stood up to face the man who was threatening him. His face was pure thunder.

_How dare he do this to my family._

"You won't get away with this Pete, because I will make sure you don't. What have you done to her?" He demanded.

"Don't worry about her; she'll come round again soon. Besides it's not her I'm after, it's you." Pete said calmly.

"What did you need her for? If it was me you were after then why did you drag my family into it?"

"I needed to get you here. I needed something for you to focus on. And because I could." He replied vindictively.

Smithy looked down at the young woman.

_I'm so sorry Alex._ He thought, feeling guilty that he was the reason she was there.

As they stood there, Smithy heard Alex stir. She moaned as she tried to raise her head but slumped back down again. Smithy dropped down beside her.

"Alex, Alex it's Smithy. Are you alright?" He asked.

Alexs' hands were tied behind her back and she was gagged. She looked exhausted and dazed.

Smithy looked at her and realized that they were in big trouble. He helped her to sit up and pulled the gag from her mouth. He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her protectively.

"Isn't that a touching sight?" Pete spat, still aiming his gun at them.

_How did we manage to get here? _Smithy thought as he remembered the events from the past few days…


	2. Chapter 2

Smithy was out on patrol in Sierra one with Reg. Not his ideal pairing but it was all hands on deck with the recent riots and attacks. There was a lot of tension in the area between the Asian community and the residents from the Larkmead estate. Plans were being made to demolish a local public hall to build a mosque in its place.

Smithy had gone back to work a month after the twins were born. Alex was still on maternity leave and the twins had grown rapidly. They were now three months old and were developing their own individual personalities.

"Sierra one from Sierra Oscar, reported RTA on Darrow road involving a Prison van and another vehicle. Inspector Gold has requested that you meet her there as soon as possible." The CAD officer said over the radio.

"Yeah received Sierra Oscar." Smithy replied into his PR.

He switched on the ignition and drove towards Darrow road. He was a little confused because he knew there were units in the area who were closer to the accident than he was. Still when Gina said jump, he had no choice but to ask how high.

Arriving at the scene, Smithy could see a blue Vauxhall in the middle of the road. Its front was badly crushed where the security van had hit it. The prison security van was about ten meters further away. It didn't look too badly damaged until you saw the back.

One of the back doors were badly buckled allowing the other door to be easily opened without much force. The back of the van had spun round and went into a street lamp. The street lamp had been completely taken out. An ambulance was on scene to deal with any casualties.

Smithy saw Gina and approached her. She didn't look very happy, so Smithy braced himself.

"Ma'am, what happened here?" He asked.

"The prison van was transferring a prisoner to another prison from Longmarsh. The driver says he was coming along here when the Vauxhall pulled out in front of him. Apparently he came from no-where and the driver didn't have time to stop." Gina explained.

"Has anyone been hurt?"

"The driver of the Vauxhall has a few head injuries, cuts and bruises but the paramedics don't think it's anything life threatening. He went in an ambulance about five minutes ago. The van driver is being treated for shock. He doesn't appear to have any physical injuries."

"What about the prisoner?" Smithy asked as he looked around him. He didn't see any sign of a prisoner.

"That's what I need to talk to you about." Gina said. Her expression changed from calm, to very worried. "Smithy there's no easy way to tell you, but the prisoner was Pete Larson. In the commotion of the accident he escaped and we haven't been able to locate him." Ginas' voice quivered with nerves.

"You're telling me that Pete Larson is out there somewhere and we haven't got a clue where." Smithy said furiously. "Do you think he'll come after me?"

"It is a possibility, yes." She replied.

"No… if he is going to come after me, it'll be through my family." Smithy realized.

"I think it's best if you go home for the rest of the shift. I agree that you are in danger whilst he has escaped. Go home and be with Alex, make sure she and the kids are alright. I'll keep you updated, I promise."

"But Gina, I don't want to…" Smithy started to object but Gina stopped him.

"No buts Smithy, this time it is non-optional."

"Gina, he is responsible for the death of Louise and then framed me for it. I ended up in prison because of him." Smithy argued.

"I know Smithy, but you said it yourself if he's going to go after you it will be through your family. I don't need to remind you that your wife is also my daughter. Go home and be with them." Gina said.

Smithy sighed, he knew Gina was right. "Fine, but do you promise to keep me up to date?"

"You have my word." She replied.

Doing as he was told for once, Smithy headed back to the station to get changed and then head home. He wasn't sure how he was feeling about Pete Larson being out. He wasn't worried about his own safety, but if he hurt Alex or the kids… well Smithy didn't know how to react.

_He already took one woman I love from me, I am not about to let him do the same again._ He thought angrily as he drove home.

Opening his front door he was greeted by someone running at his legs.

"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy." Molly screamed with excitement when she saw him.

He lifted her up and threw her over his shoulders. He then ran with her into the kitchen and gently spun her round. Molly giggled loudly as Smithy put her down again and then started tickling her.

Alex walked in to the kitchen to see what all the commotion was about, but smiled happily as she saw them playing.

"I don't know who the bigger kid is, you or them?" She said as she walked over to them.

Standing up, Smithy placed his arm around Alexs' waist and hugged her tightly. He then kissed her passionately running his hand up her back.

"What are you doing home so early?" Alex said, finally pulling away slightly.

Smithy looked worried, his body language changed from calm and relaxed to tense and anxious. Alex then became worried when she saw her husbands expression.

"Smithy, what is it?" She asked.

He looked at her and struggled to find the words, how was he going to tell her?

"Can we go upstairs? I've got something I need to talk to you about but I don't want the kids hearing." He replied as he then headed towards the staircase closely followed by Alex.

On her way up she felt terrified, she didn't have a clue what could be wrong. Was it something she had done or said? Whatever it is she knew it was bad. Heading into their bedroom, Smithy sat Alex down on the bed and explained their problem.

"What has Mum said about it?" Alex said. She was now standing in front of the window looking out into the back garden.

"She thinks it will be best for me to stay out of the way until he is caught. I think he is going to try and get to me any way he can, so hiding isn't going to help." Smithy explained as he rested his head in his hands.

He raised his head again when he felt her hand on his back. She sat beside him on the bed and placed her arm round his neck, resting her forehead against his.

"What are we going to do?" She whispered. "He tried killing you once and then framed you for murder; I couldn't bare it if he did anything to you…" Alex murmered frantically.

"Hey listen; it's not me you should be worried about. He murdered Louise to get rid of her and to get back at me; I'm worried that he may do the same again with you and my family." He said.

Alex looked at him tearfully as the full realization of the situation hit her.

"I already lost one husband Smithy; I couldn't go through that again. If anything happened to you… I don't know if I could come back from that." She said as the tears started pouring down her face.

"I'm not going anywhere, you should know by now you can't get rid of me that easily." He joked as he hugged her tightly.

"Promise me you won't take any stupid risks." She said.

"When have I…" Smithy started to say when Alex raised an eyebrow at him. "Ok, no risks I promise." He replied.

Smithy stayed at home for the rest of the day. He had promised Alex that he would stay and help around the house, even though he wanted to go back to work and help with the investigation.

At the station Gina gathered the relief for a briefing. As they trickled in one by one, she waited for Sam and Neil to come down from CID. When everyone concerned was present, she started the briefing.

"Right everyone, as I'm sure some of you will have heard Pete Larson has escaped from Longmarsh prison. Now, I'm sure it will come as no surprise to most of you but we have sent Sergeant Smith home. We would like to keep him out of the way if possible." Gina explained.

"Ma'am, do you think Larson will try to come after Smithy again?" Tony asked.

"We think it's a strong possibility, unfortunately. Larsons'attempt last year to have Smithy put away failed so he'll probably want revenge." Gina answered.

Neil then took the briefing over to tell the relief everything they already knew, what Pete Larson was in prison for and how long he was serving.

"As we all know, Pete Larson was arrested in March 2006 for the murder of his wife Louise Larson in January 2006. He was later sentenced last year for life, of which he had to serve a minimum of 35 years." Neil explained.

Half an hour later the relief were dismissed. Most were sent out to do door to door enquiries in the area where Larson escaped; Tony and Reg had been asked to make enquiries about Larsons associates; Gina and Neil had been tasked to find out what had happened at the crash.

Their first call was at St Hughes hospital to speak to the driver of the Vauxhall. Following the nurse to the mans hospital bed Gina felt something niggling at the back of her mind. She had been in Australia last year when Smithy was arrested. Unfortunately she didn't know the full facts of the case, only what she had seen in photographs and been told by the relief.

The nurse pulled the curtain of the cubicle back and let Gina and Neil past. The man had been identified as Greg Thompson, a guy in his thirties who worked for a travel agency on the outskirts of Canley. Gina had done a few checks on him before she left, but nothing came up for him. The guy had never even had a parking ticket.

"So Mr Thompson, how are you feeling now?" She asked, not really wanting to know but thought it was more polite to ask.

"I'll live." He replied.

"Would you mind answering some questions about what happened please?" Neil asked.

"Sure, I don't know how much I can tell you though, it all happened so fast." He said.

"In your own words can you run through the events leading up to the accident?" Neil asked frankly.

"I was heading towards Darrow road from Vincent Street. I was about to stop at the traffic lights when a red car crashed into the back of me at speed. He shunned me into the road in front and I tried to steer the car out of the way of the van, but it was too late. The van crashed straight into me." Thompson explained.

"This other car, where did it go afterwards?" Gina asked.

"I don't know it must have driven off."

"Did you get a look at the driver or the make of the car?" Neil quizzed.

"No, sorry it all happened too fast. I'm telling the truth." Thompson objected.

"Well thank you Mr Thompson, we'll be in touch if we need anything further." Neil said as he walked away.

Outside the hospital Gina finished speaking to the forensics officer on her mobile.

"Thank you Lorna. If you find anything more can you give me a ring? That's great. Bye." She said as she hung up.

"Well what did Lorna say?" Neil asked curiously.

"Interesting actually. When I asked her about a third vehicle she said there were no signs of another car being involved. She said she would have another look but I think Thompson is lying through his teeth." Gina explained.

"I agree with you. He seemed a little too defensive when I questioned him further about the other car." Agreed Neil. "I want to go back to the scene of the accident, there's something not adding up here."

Gina and Neil headed to the car and drove in the direction of the accident site.

At home Alex and Smithy laid on their bed talking. Alex clung to Smithy tightly, terrified to let go. Smithy had his arm round her shoulders and held her close.

"Are you ok Smithy? This must bring back a lot of bad feelings for you." Alex said as she looked up at her husband.

"Yeah, I guess it does. But I'm pretty sure you don't want your husband talking about his ex." He replied.

"Oi, that's not true. When we started dating we promised each other that we would talk to each other about Louise, Kerry and Paul."

"Hang on a minute, I didn't sleep with Paul." Smithy smirked cheekily and mocked a look of pain when Alex slapped him.

"You know what I mean." She scowled. "I want you to feel like you can talk to me about anything you want. Just because we're married doesn't mean our close friendship should end, I still see you as my closest friend. I hope you feel the same way."

"Yeah I do feel the same. You know what I'm like, talking about the way I feel doesn't come easily to me. It took me two years before I could tell Kerry I loved her and it took me several months before I was able to tell Louise how I felt about her. I've been in love with you since the first day I met you but I couldn't tell you. Ten years later I still struggled to tell you. I'm glad I did though."

"Glad you did what?" Alex asked.

"Told you I loved you. Alex, I love you more than I love anyone else, I always have. I guess losing Louise and Kerry made me realize how much you mean to me. I always took them for granted, assuming they would always be there. I thought every time I found happiness it would be taken away from me; but those experiences have helped me realize how important you are and how devastated I would be without you." Smithy explained.

Alex looked at him and then kissed him tenderly. Her lips lingered over his and he embraced her in his arms.

"I love you Smithy and I always will. I'll always stand by you no matter what." She said as she rested her head on his chest.

Smithy kissed the top of her head. "I love you to." He replied.

The next morning Gina and Neil weren't any closer to finding out how Larson had escaped, or where he was hiding. Witness statements hadn't been any help as no one seemed to see anything. However, Thompsons' account of what happened had been proved to be inaccurate.

The previous night Thompson had been discharged from the hospital. He was at home resting when Gina and Neil arrived. When he answered the door Neil read him his rights and they took him back to Sun Hill.

In the interview room they quizzed him intensely. Sam was in CID trying to find a link between him and Pete Larson. Sam couldn't understand why Greg Thompson was so clean. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't find anything on him. She tried to concentrate, she recognized him from somewhere but she couldn't remember where.

"How did you get on?" Sam asked as Gina and Neil approached her.

"Nothing, he won't give us anything." Neil sounded frustrated.

"Well I've got nothing either. What are we going to do? We haven't got much on him and I'm not sure how much longer we can keep him here." Sam replied.

"We could bail him and get Nikki and Emma to follow him. If he is connected to Larson then he'll be pretty worried by now. What do you think?" Gina suggested.

At that moment Will came in to CID. He walked straight towards the senior officers.

"Sorry to interrupt but we've just had a report of a possible sighting of Pete Larson near Talbot Avenue." He explained.

Gina suddenly looked very nervous and anxious.

"Talbot Avenue, that's less than half a mile away from Tubbs Lane. He's heading towards Alex and Smithys' place." She said.

"Right Gina if you can organize the release of Thompson; Sam if you can let Alex and Smithy know what is happening; and Will if you can make your way to Talbot Avenue with Reg and Tony. I'm going to speak to the prison officer who was in charge of Larsons transfer." Neil ordered.

Reluctantly Gina made her way into custody to release Greg Thompson. She felt angry as she watched him walk away. If anything happened to her family because of this… Well it didn't bare thinking about.

Sam phoned Alex and explained the situation they faced.

"Alex, it's Sam. Someone has reported seeing Larson near Talbot Avenue. We've sent some officers down to have a look but so far there's no other news. How's Smithy taking the news?"

"Not very well; I think he's terrified that the same thing is going happen to me that happened to Louise." Alex explained.

"Well we'll try and make sure that doesn't happen. Where is Smithy now?"

"He's taken the kids to his Mums. We thought it would be safer if they were out of the house."

"That sounds like it's a good idea. Listen, I'll give you a call if we hear any more. Keep an eye out and give me a ring if you have any problems." Sam said as she hung up.

Alex replaced the phone handset and looked round her house. She felt a sudden urge of sadness. She hated it when her house was empty, it was too quiet. To keep herself busy she decided to clear away the breakfast dishes.

She was so deep in thought that she didn't hear anyone coming in. He walked in slowly and saw her standing at the sink. He was holding some sort of bat in his right hand. Walking up behind her he hit her on the back of her head. It happened so fast that she didn't have time to respond. She slumped unconsciously onto the floor. He took the car keys from the bowl in the hall, and bundled her into the boot of her car in the garage. He left a message in the kitchen for Smithy to find…

_If you want to see your wife again you'd better come find her, alone. No police. You've got 24 hours._

He drove away with Alex, vindictively hoping Smithy would take the bate.


	3. Chapter 3

Smithy stood in his Mums kitchen and watched Molly run round the garden as one year old baby Gina tried to toddle after her. He smiled to himself and laughed as Cara grabbed her baby sister and ran after Molly with her.

Pauline handed her son a cup of tea.

"Get this down you before you head back to the house." She said.

"Are you sure you don't mind looking after the kids for us? I mean they ain't going to be too hard for you to handle." Smithy said as he took a sip from his cup.

"We'll be fine, don't you worry about us. I did raise five children of my own you know. They're wonderful kids and I will love spending some extra time with them." She replied.

Smithy quickly finished his tea and put his coat on.

"I'd better get back to Alex. Give us a call if you have any problems with the kids, most of the twins stuff is in the bag on the table; and we'll let you know what happens at our end" He said as he kissed his Mum goodbye.

He walked into the back garden and gave the girls a kiss goodbye as well. Baby Gina toddled unsteadily towards him. He knelt down to her level and encouraged her towards him.

"Come on you can do it." He said holding his hands out.

He cheered and bounced her when she finally made it to him. Pauline enjoyed seeing her son so happy and hoped Larsons escape wouldn't do anything to jeopardize it.

Nikki and Emma followed Thompson around London. So far he hadn't done anything suspicious. He pulled his car up outside a shop and then went inside. Nikki stopped a little further up the road, still insight of his car.

A few minutes later he came out talking on his mobile. He didn't look very happy and looked increasingly worried as his conversation progressed.

"Well that doesn't look very good, does it?" Nikki said as she watched him closely.

He pressed the 'end call' button on his phone and quickly dived for his car. Setting off at speed he drove franticly through the streets of Sun Hill, taking more risks with each passing second.

Nikki did her best to keep up to him, but his erratic driving was endangering innocent lives.

"Sierra Oscar from 361, back up required. We are currently in pursuit of Greg Thompson." Emma reported into her radio.

An area car was close by and assisted them with their pursuit. Unfortunately they still weren't able to catch him. As they headed towards a cross roads the traffic lights turned against them. Thompson just managed to make it across in time, but the pursuing officers didn't want to risk it.

"Sierra Oscar from 361, we've lost Thompson. Suspect last seen heading north along Guerney Street." Emma said sounding frustrated.

Smithy put his key into the lock and opened his front door. He stood in the hall and looked through into the living room.

"Alex?" He shouted, but no reply came. He now felt worried.

He rushed frantically into every room looking for her. He ran into the kitchen and saw the note on the table. He gripped it in his hands and read each word carefully. He then grabbed his car keys again and went back out to his car.

He headed towards the station. His head was pounding with thoughts running through it. He pulled up in the station car park and ran inside, heading towards Ginas' office. As he reached her door he didn't bother to knock.

Gina looked up, shocked to see someone almost knocking her door down. She was about to tell who ever it was that the door looked nicer on its hinges, when she realized it was Smithy. He didn't need to tell her that something was wrong, his face said it all.

"Smithy, what's happened?" She asked with concern.

"Gina it's Alex." He panted. "She's gone. Larson took her whilst I was out." He handed Gina the note still clutched in his hand.

She read it and her face drained of its colour. She walked round her office thinking, tears stung at her eyes.

"We need to go to the Superintendent with this." She said finally.

"But he says no police. I think this is something I need to do myself or he'll kill her." Smithy objected.

"And if we don't tell him I could lose both of you if you go after him alone." Gina insisted.

Smithy nodded in agreement. He knew she was right but he didn't want anyone else messing this up. He already felt he was to blame for Alexs' disappearance.

"Right fine we will inform the Super, but I don't want him doing anything to risk Alexs' life." Smithy said.

"Ok, you take this up to the Superintendent and I'm going to inform Alexs' Dad and Mother because they'll want to know. I'll meet you up there in a couple of minutes. Alright?" Gina said.

Smithy headed up to the Superintendents office. He knocked on the door this time and entered when the senior officer told him to.

"Sergeant Smith, what can I do for you?" John asked.

"Sir, Alex has been taken hostage by Larson. I'm worried about her. We need to do something now." Smithy rambled.

Heaton looked worried. "Right we need to let CID know first. Don't worry, we'll find her." He tried to comfort.

"Sir, we can't go in too heavy handed. Larson knows what he's doing. He murdered his wife, framed me for it and took away someone I loved and cared about. I can't let that happen again." Smithy explained.

Heaton looked sympathetically at him. "I understand your concern Sergeant Smith and I promise we will get him."

Smithy left the office in a daze. He couldn't believe any of this was happening; he had a sense of déjà vu. Pete Larson had one more over him.

_I'm not going to let him win this time._ He thought angrily.

He quickly made his way out of the station and headed to the area close to their house. He collected CCTV from the surrounding streets and shops to try and trace Larsons' movements. He found somewhere quiet in the station, when he arrived back, to watch what he had collected. He was in such deep thought about Alex that he wasn't really watching the footage until something caught is attention. A light blue car pulled up outside a shop close to a side street round the corner from his house. Smithy recognized the car as Alexs'. Larson got out of the drivers seat and walked into the shop, coming out after fifteen minutes with a small box. Smithy wasn't sure what was in the box but he was convinced that it was a mobile phone. He decided to send the footage to the forensic lab and have them enhance it. For now though all he could do was wait.

Alex started to stir slowly. Her head pounded as she tried to raise it off the hard surface. She tried to move her hands to help push herself up, but she found them to be bound behind her back. As she looked around her she saw Larson sat in a chair in the corner. He was looking at her but made no attempt to help her. Alex gave up trying to sit up.

"So you've finally woken then, I thought you were never going to wake up." Larson said with no emotion. Alex didn't reply but instead opted to glare at him.

Larson stood up and walked across the room to a table just out of Alexs' view. She tried to look around her the best she could but couldn't work out where she was. The room was obviously disused and hadn't been used for a number of months. Old papers, glass and planks of wood lay across the floor.

He walked back to where she was laid on the floor and stood over her. He knelt beside her and helped her to sit up so that she was facing him. He waved a mobile phone in her face and looked at her expectantly. She looked at him confused and waited for an explanation.

"I want your husbands' number." He said simply.

"What do you want his number for?" Alex asked, still feeling dazed.

"I thought I'd be nice and give him a helping hand to find us." Larson replied.

"I won't give it to you. You ain't going to lure my husband here just so you can kill him…" Alex said.

"Whoa who said anything about killing him? I just want to talk to the Sergeant." Larson replied mockingly.

Alex gave a dry laugh, "You expect me to believe that? You tried to kill him before; you've murdered countless times before now; you even murdered your own wife and framed Smithy for it. You ain't getting his number from me, and that's final." She replied angrily.

"Well in that case…" Larson said as he stood up and walked over to the desk behind him. "… I guess I'll just have to find it on your phone, won't I?" He continued smugly.

Alex realized that he had taken her phone from the house when he had kidnapped her. Whilst his attention was drawn to the phone, Alex tried to wriggle her wrists out of the tape that was holding her hands together. They were tied so tight that she could feel them digging in to her wrists sharply.

Larson walked out of the room holding the phone in his hands. Alex wriggled onto her side and hit her head hard against the floor, again knocking herself unconscious.

Gina walked towards the briefing room, preparing herself to tell the relief about Alexs' disappearance. She had just told Davey and Alexs' mother Susan what had happened.

"Right everyone can I have your full attention please?" She said nervously to her team. "I've called you back in to help with an urgent case. As you all know, Pete Larson escaped from prison yesterday. Now he has taken Alex hostage."

The relief gasped in horror by Ginas' announcement. They started whispering to each other in shock.

"Settle down please. I'm sure I don't need to stress to you the importance of finding Alex quickly. So far we haven't got any evidence to where he's taken her so I need some officers to do door to door close to the house. I want a few officers to collect as much CCTV from the area as well…"

"I've already done that." Smithy interrupted as he walked into the briefing room. "I went round to some of the shops and picked the videos up. One of them has been sent to forensics to be enhanced because…" Smithy explained, as he walked over to the wall next to Gina, and pinned some pictures from the CCTV onto it. "… This footage clearly shows Larson coming out of this shop with a box. I think the box may have had a mobile phone in it." He finished.

"Right well, you all know what you're looking for and you've all got your postings. If you find anything no matter how small contact the station straight away." Gina said as she dismissed her team.

She then turned to Smithy looking for an explanation for him going solo.

"Well I couldn't sit around and do nothing could I?" He said.

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and he lifted it out quickly. A look of anger crossed his face as he answered the phone call.

"What do you want? If you have hurt her, I swear I will not be responsible for my actions." Smithy shouted down the phone angrily.

He listened carefully to what Larson had to say and listened intently for any sounds of Alex in distress. He finally finished the call and threw the phone onto the nearest desk.

Gina had stood and watched him nervously. She was worried about what Larson was saying to him and judging by his body language, it wasn't good.

"Well?" She asked when he finally came off the phone.

"He said time was running out. I have to find her myself; if he finds out any different he'll kill her." Smithy looked at her gravely.

Gina had a look of determination on her face. She knew Alex was strong enough to get through this.

She walked back to her office once she had finished speaking to Smithy. He had insisted on going out and helping with the search, so she paired him with Reg and Tony. Davey was sat in her office waiting for her. She was surprised to see him but glad he was there. She hated to admit it but she needed some support and her relationship with Davey had been great over the past few months.

When he saw her he stood up from where he was sat and walked over to her. They looked sorrowfully at each other, and then he placed his arms around her shoulders and embraced her in a tight, comforting hug.

"How are you coping?" He asked.

She looked at him with a raised eyebrow and he smirked. He knew she hated people asking her questions like that, no matter what the situation was.

"I'm ok." She replied. "I'm stressed more than anything and worried that Smithy will do something stupid. Larson has been in contact with us to say our time is running out. We don't know how long we've got but we have to find her fast." Gina explained whilst the tears stung at her eyes. She was struggling to control them but was determined to say strong.

"I'll need to inform CID and the Superintendent of the phone call. We will try and trace the phone. The only thing is…"

Davey looked at her and his brows creased with worry. "What is it?" He asked.

"It seems too easy. He isn't the kind of person who is easily tricked by things like that. He made that phone call for a reason and my main concern is that he's trying to get Smithy to go after him alone; Smithy is just stupid enough to do it when he's rattled." She explained.

Gina and Davey talked for a while about the situation they faced. She explained to him the full story, Smithy, Louise, their relationship, Smithys' conviction and Larsons' role in everything that had happened. Davey was surprised by Ginas' explanation. He now understood why Larson was so dangerous and why Smithy was so worried about Alex.

Smithy couldn't concentrate on what he was doing. He was desperately trying to remember anything significant about the phone call from Larson. He knew he heard something in the background but couldn't think what it was.

He felt the phone in his pocket vibrate again. He quickly snatched it up and didn't even bother to look at the name. He was hoping it was the station phoning to say they had a trace on Larson.

"Hello." He answered quickly.

"So Sergeant Smith, any closer to find us?" Larson sneered.

There it was again the sound in the background. Smithy felt angry, very angry.

"When I find you I'm going to rip you apart." He replied angrily.

Larson, feeling pleased with the reaction he got, hung up; leaving Smithy reeling and feeling helplessly lost.

Reg and Tony decided it would be best to take Smithy back to the station after the phone call. On the journey back he finally realised what the background noise was.

"It's a train!" He exclaimed when he entered Ginas' office.

"What?" Gina asked with confusion.

"The sound in the background is a train." Smithy clarified.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

"Right well… was there anything specific that you can think of about this train? Did it sound heavy like a goods train or was it a passenger train?" Gina enquired.

"It sounded heavy but it also sounded to… I don't know… rattle I guess, as if it was going over a bridge. I heard it the first time he called as well."

"Right well we need to pass this information onto CID; let them investigate it. Well done though." Gina replied when she saw Smithys' look of disappointment at her last statement.

Gina walked upstairs towards CID and approached the DCI and the Superintendent. They were deep in discussion about something but stopped talking as soon as they saw her. She felt a little suspicious about there actions but knew better than to ask.

"Is everything alright Gina?" Jack asked quickly.

"Well I thought I would let you know that Smithy has just been to see me. Apparently Larson phoned him again, about half an hour ago." Gina started to explain.

"What did he say?" John interrupted.

"Nothing specific, again just that our time was running out; but it wasn't what he said that was interesting. Smithy said the first time Larson rang he heard something in the background but he wasn't sure what. The second time he rang, Smithy heard it again only this time he worked out what it was. It's a train. Smithy thinks it could be a goods train because it sounded heavy but he also thinks it is going over a bridge because of the sound it makes." She explained. She knew that this small piece of evidence to be the big push they needed to find Alex.

"What time did Larson phone Smithy?" Jack asked.

"The first time it was at 12.00 and the second call was at 2.00pm." She replied.

"Right, I think we should get Sergeant Smith back into the station and keep him here so we can keep an eye on his phone if Larson phones again I want the call to be recorded." John ordered. "Jack have we been able to get a trace on Larson or Alexs' phones yet?"

"Not yet Sir; DS Turner and DI Nixon drew a blank at the shop where Larsons phone was purchased. Larson paid by cash but no one got a proper look at his face."

"So another dead end then." Heaton stated unhelpfully.

"Well we'll just have to keep trying and hope that he phones again." Gina said, trying to sound confident but inside it was eating at her.

"We will keep trying Gina and we will find her. Larson is going to trip himself up sooner or later, and when he does we will be ready for him." Jack reassured her.

Gina wasn't entirely convinced but appreciated his efforts.


	4. Chapter 4

Smithy begrudgingly stayed in the station and waited for his phone to ring again. He felt irritated and annoyed that he couldn't join his colleagues in their search. He was sat in the Sergeants office waiting to hear any news from the DCI.

He glanced at the photograph on his desk of Alex and himself on their wedding day.

_I can't just sit here and do nothing. I know I've been asked to leave the investigation alone but I can't. I've got to be the one to find her. _He thought.

He logged onto his computer and started looking at train stations and train times from the area. He searched for train routes for goods trains that might be near warehouses or abandoned buildings.

His search came up with three possibilities; one of them was the most likely and one that Smithy recognized. It was the building that Larson took him to when he found out about Louises' affair with him.

Grabbing his coat from the back of the chair, Smithy dived out of the station to his car. He decided not to tell his colleagues what he had found; he wanted to deal with Larson on his own.

Elsewhere in the station, Gina sat in Jacks office listening to the DCI and the Superintendent as they discussed the possibilities of how to find Alex. She wasn't really paying much attention to their conversation though. Her thoughts were a million miles away. She was thinking about Alex and hoped they weren't too late. It was coming up to their first year celebration since Gina found out she was Alexs' Mum. She remembered how much pride and overwhelming happiness she had felt when she found out; now she just prayed that Larson hadn't taken that away from her.

John had noticed that Gina hadn't heard much of their conversation.

"Right well I think you've got everything covered Jack. Keep me up to speed with any further developments." John said as he ended the briefing. "Gina, can I have a word in my office please?"

"'Course Sir." She agreed reluctantly.

They both walked next door into Johns' office and sat down in silence. Gina looked at him expectantly. She knew he was going to give her a pep talk on how everything was going to be ok and how they were going to find her safe and sound. It was this kind of conversation she hated most.

"I wanted to find out how you were coping. I understand it must be hard for you." He said.

"I'm fine Sir, really I am. I don't like all that tea and sympathy malarkey. I just want to find my daughter and get on with our job." She replied bluntly.

"Ok Inspector, you know where I am if you need to talk." John said.

Gina nodded her gratitude and left the office, walking down to her own. She was still unaware that Smithy had headed off to try and find Alex by himself. She walked into the Sergeants office to find it empty. She felt suspicious about Smithys' whereabouts, knowing how he felt about staying in the station. She looked at his computer and saw what he had been looking at. He had forgotten to log out after he had finished his research.

Noting the locations she went back upstairs to explain to Jack what she had found out. She realized Smithy must have gone out to one of the locations and hoped they weren't too far behind him.

Smithy parked the car round the corner from the building. He sat for a few moments and remembered the events that had led him to this building before. He remembered being locked in the boot of Pete Larsons' car, not knowing where he was or if anyone knew he was missing. He also remembered his feeling of fear, for himself and for Louise. Now he felt the same fear for Alex as well as anger. He got out of the car and headed round to the building.

Inside the disused office block, Alex laid dazed on the floor. She didn't have a clue what the time was or how long she had been there but she hoped someone would find her soon.

She sat up and looked around for Pete. She saw him sat in the corner watching her.

"How long have we been here?" She asked groggily.

"Not quite long enough, your husband hasn't joined us yet." He replied with no emotion.

He walked across to the desk and picked up a bottle of water. He walked back to where Alex was sat on the floor.

"Would you like a drink?" He asked.

"Here's me thinking you didn't have a heart." Alex replied as Pete held the bottle to her lips.

When she finished having a drink he replaced the bottle on the desk.

"You still haven't explained why you've done this?" She asked testily.

"Isn't it obvious? I want to cause your husband the same pain he caused me. You can believe me or not but I loved my wife. Do you have any idea how I felt when I found out she had cheated on me?" He explained.

"Yes I can actually. My first husband had an affair; we split up after I found out. So why haven't you killed me yet then?"

"Because it's not you I'm after. You were just a pawn in my game, it's really Sergeant Smith I'm after."

"But why? Alright he made a mistake and fell in love with someone he shouldn't; but have you ever stopped to think why she had an affair?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"When my husband cheated on me, my first reaction was to blame him, it's natural. The truth was though we were both to blame. At that point in time I wasn't the easiest person to live with. You see, we had a son who died at a few months old. I was grieving for him but I pushed everyone away, including my husband. His way to deal with the death was to talk to a friend because I wouldn't let him talk to me. It was through talking to this friend that he developed a relationship, and it was me that pushed him to it." Alex explained.

"So what you saying, it was my fault? I gave her everything she asked for, cars, holidays, new homes, everything." Larson shouted defensively.

"Yeah but were you there for her emotionally. You were… are, a murderer, a lair, a drug dealer, a major criminal. You got Louise to sign papers and documents that you knew were illegal. To cover your self you tried to frame your wife for a lot of your criminal activities."

"And she refused to stand by me; she went off with your husband and told everyone she would stand against me in court. That is what I don't get. I never hit her or abused her. I treat her with respect and she threw it back in my face."

"You still killed her and then framed Smithy for it. How is that loving her?" Alex shouted back.

Pete froze as he heard a sound coming from the corridor outside. He grabbed the gun from the table and hit Alex; again she fell unconsciously to the floor. He gagged her and then walked to a door towards the left of the room. He watched silently for the person who had come into the building. As he suspected, it was Smithy.

He watched as Smithy ran to his wife and heard the panic in his voice as he tried to waken her. He walked slowly behind Smithy with the gun still in his hand. He raised the gun slightly and pointed it at the back of Smithys' head.

"Well Sergeant Smith, how nice of you to join us." Pete said, still holding the gun at Smithy.

"You won't get away with this Pete, because I'll make sure you don't. What have you done to her?" Smithy said as he stood up to face Pete.

"Don't worry about her; she'll come round again soon. Besides it's not her I'm after, it's you."

"What did you need her for? If it was me you were after why did you drag my family into it?"

"I needed to get you here. I needed something for you to focus on. And because I could."

Alex heard Smithys' voice somewhere above her.

_No Smithy, go away please. Don't get yourself killed._ She thought; almost pleading in her mind.

Smithy heard her stir and dropped down beside her again.

"Alex, Alex it's Smithy. Are you alright?" He asked; the concern in his voice evident.

Alex looked at him still obviously quite dazed. She tried to sit up but couldn't manage by herself, so Smithy helped her up. He removed the tape from her mouth and hugged her protectively. She snuggled as close to him as she could. She felt terrified, more so now that Smithy was here than she did before.

"Isn't that a touching sight?" Pete mocked them.

"I'm so sorry Alex." Smithy whispered into her ear so that only she could hear.

Alex responded by nudging him gently.

"So what you going to do now? You've got me so why don't you let her go?" Smithy asked.

"I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I might leave you both to think about your situation a little longer." Pete said vindictively.

Pete was walking backwards and forwards in front of the young couple. He froze again though when all three of them heard an unexpected noise from the corridor outside.

"Right get up. NOW!" Pete ordered.

Smithy reluctantly stood up and drew himself to his full height. He helped Alex to stand up and was concerned as she wobbled on her feet. She was weak and tired so Smithy supported most of her weight.

"Right start walking that way." Pete said quietly as he pointed the gun towards a door.

Smithy helped Alex and they both walked towards the door. It led to another corridor with doors on either side. They were forced into a smaller room, a disused office. Smithy looked around his surroundings to try and plan their escape.

"Stay in here and keep quiet." Pete said as he locked the door behind him. He headed off to find the source of the noise.

Smithy was still standing in the middle of the room holding Alex, when she collapsed into his arms.

"Alex are you alright?" Smithy asked frantically.

She hadn't lost consciousness but she was very weak. She turned and looked at Smithy and gave him a weak smile.

"I'm ok. But you need to get yourself out of here." She said firmly.

"I'm not leaving here with out you." Smithy insisted.

"And if you don't leave here now, you will end up leaving in a body bag."

Smithy made Alex comfortable on the floor. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"Let's try to get this tape off your wrists." He said calmly. "Then we'll work our way out of here."

After a few minutes Alexs' wrists were released from the tape binding them together. She had deep cuts around her wrists where the tape had cut her.

"Right, I think I can bring this door down if I kick it in. The only problem is Larson will probably hear it. Do you think you could run if I helped you?" Smithy asked looking at Alex.

She didn't look as if she could lift her little finger let alone run; but she slowly nodded her head and raised herself off the floor.

"Ok after three. One… two… THREE…" Smithy said as he gave the door a swift kick.

The door buckled and splintered where he had kicked it. It opened enough for them to force themselves out. Sure enough though, as Smithy had said, Larson had heard the noise and came running after them wielding the gun.

Gina joined the rest of the team in the search for Smithy and Alex. There was only one place left to check. It was an abandoned office block close to a warehouse and goods trains taking things north.

The group consisted of Jack, Jo and Stuart from CID, Will, Leela, Gina and Nikki from uniform and then officers from SO19.

"Right everyone, you know the drill by now. We need to find them fast. We don't know how much time we have left so I want us to split into groups and spread out. Remember Larson is armed and not afraid to use it so take care. Right let's go." Jack said as he ordered the officers into there groups.

Ginas' group was going to take the middle corridor and main offices. She had Jo, Nikki and Will with her as well as five SO19 officers. They entered the building slowly and quietly to try and not draw attention to themselves.

"Right which way do we go?" Jo whispered as they came to an area with several doors and corridors.

"What do you think Ma'am?" Will asked.

Gina wasn't really listening. The only question she had in her mind at that moment was, _Are we too late?_

"We'll go this way." She said following her gut instinct.

They all headed silently down a corridor listening closely for any sounds that may help them with their search, not knowing where anyone was or if anyone was even here.

Larson ran towards Smithy and Alex as quickly as he could. The young couple had had a slight head start but he was quickly catching up.

Smithy didn't know where he was going and it was becoming increasingly difficult to get his bearings. As he rounded a corner with Alex he realized that they were in the same room they had first started. He made his way towards, what looked like, a fire exit door towards the side. Alex was finding it difficult to remain conscious; and smithy almost had to carry her.

As they made their way towards the door they suddenly found it blocked by Pete Larson.

"Now where you going to run to?" Pete said maliciously.

"Give it up Pete." Smithy replied as he slowly backed away from him. He was out of breath and struggling to hold onto Alex.

They kept on moving backwards, followed by Pete. Smithy was trying to get safely to the door but Pete was too close. As they continued to back away a sound from behind Pete made him turn away briefly. Smithy took a chance to run.

Pete aimed his gun and fired two shots at them just as Ginas' group came in with SO19. Turning his gun on the officers that had just entered, he tried to fire a shot at them, but SO19 were quick to take him out. Petes' limp body slumped dead to the ground.

Gina ran towards Smithy who was cradling Alex in his arms. She had been hit in the stomach by one of Petes' shots. Smithy wept uncontrollably.

"Someone call for an ambulance." Gina shouted back as the other officers joined them.

Gina knelt beside her daughter and felt for a pulse.

"She's still with us. Her pulse is weak but she's holding on." Gina confirmed.

Smithy wasn't convinced.

"This all my fault." He wept "I'm so sorry Alex." He whispered as he kissed Alexs' forehead.

Smithy looked up quickly at Gina. "I think she's stopped breathing." He said frantically.

When Gina checked, Alex had indeed stopped breathing.

"Right, you need to lay her flat." She said as she calmly took control of the situation.

Smithy did as he was told and laid her on the floor. Gina then started trying to gently resuscitate her daughter. Smithy looked on in horror and felt useless as he watched Gina try to save his wifes' life.

After trying to get Alex to breath a couple of times, Gina finally relaxed a little as Alex started breathing for herself. The paramedics arrived just in time to take her to the hospital, but she wasn't out of danger yet.

The ambulance took Alex and Smithy to hospital and Gina followed closely behind.

_Please let her be ok, _she thought, _please let her be ok._


	5. Chapter 5

In the hospital Gina and Smithy waited patiently in the family room for news on Alex. Smithy paced the room whilst Gina sat quietly next to the window. She had phoned Davey and Alexs' Mother Susan. They were both on their way in. Smithy had phoned Pauline to let her know what had happened and she was bringing the kids in as well.

Finally Davey arrived carrying Molly and Cara followed closely behind him with Pauline. Molly was too young to fully understand the situation, but Cara understood too well what could happen. Her face was tear stained and her eyes were red and puffy.

When she saw Gina she ran straight towards her.

"Granny is Mum going to be ok?" She sobbed.

Gina placed her arms around Cara and held her in a tight hug.

"We don't know darling. We're waiting for the doctor to come and tell us how she's doing." Gina said comfortingly.

"When can we see her?" Cara replied between sobs.

"Hopefully soon."

Several minutes past in silence before everyone jumped and looked up as the doctor came in to speak to them.

"She's had a lot of internal bleeding and the bullet was quite close to her liver. We've managed to remove the bullet without causing any more damage but we're waiting for more of her test results coming back. She's out of theatre and in intensive care. She's struggling to breath on her own at the moment and there's a chance she may not regain consciousness. The next twenty four hours will prove crucial." The doctor explained gravely.

"Can we see her?" Gina asked hoarsely.

"I can only allow two of you to go in at once and you can't spend more than a few minutes with her." The doctor replied.

"I think you should take Cara in first." Smithy said as he looked at Gina.

She nodded at him and took Cara by the hand. They walked nervously to Alexs' bedside.

Even though she was thirteen, Cara felt helpless like a little girl. She sat gingerly next to her Mum and held her hand. Tears started to flow silently down her face and Gina didn't know what to say. She placed her hand on Caras' shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Hi Mum." Cara said quietly. "It's me, Cara. Everyone's here in the hospital. Grandma; Smithy; Granny; Pauline; Molly and the other three. We all hope you get better and wake up. We need you Mum…" Cara broke off as the tears became too much for her.

The nurse ushered them out and Gina carried Cara in her arms back to the waiting room.

Once everyone had been in to see Alex the doctor came in to speak to them again.

"We could be in for a long wait. Some of you can stay here if you want although it is advisable you all go home and rest." He said as he looked around the room.

"Well I want to stay." Gina said groggily.

"We do normally say family only in these situations Inspector." The doctor replied, not realizing Gina was Alexs' Mum. "I'm Alexs' Mum so if you don't mind I would prefer to stay." Gina scolded. She was feeling tired and short tempered and not in the mood to be told what to do.

"I'm sorry I didn't realize. I'll let you decide amongst yourselves what you feel is best." The doctor said a little sheepishly as he left the room.

"Well it seems a shame to wake the kids, especially when we've just got them to sleep. Anyway, Alex will want to see them as soon as she wakes up." Smithy said.

"I agree. I say we should all stay. We're all her family and we need each others support as much as Alex does." Gina said honestly.

They settled silently onto the chairs around the room. Gina had Cara sat on her knee fast asleep. It had taken her ages to go to sleep. She kept crying silently to her self and Gina tried her best to comfort her.

One by one everyone eventually fell asleep. It was in the early hours of the morning when Gina woke up. For a couple of seconds she felt disorientated and didn't know where she was. When she woke up properly everything came flooding back to her.

She looked down at Cara who was still asleep in her arms. She carefully stood up and laid her down on the seat she had been sat on. Gina then quietly made her way out of the relatives' room and towards Alexs' room.

She looked in through the window and saw a nurse checking Alexs' monitors. Gina opened the door and looked at the nurse.

"Any chance I can come in and spend a little time with her?" She asked in a whisper.

The nurse relented and let Gina in.

"I shouldn't be doing this but you can come in for a little while." The nurse said.

Gina smiled weakly at the nurse and then quietly sat next to Alex holding her hand.

The nurse allowed Gina in for longer than a few minutes. In fact Gina sat there all night, quietly watching her daughter. Towards dawn Gina started talking to Alex. She spoke to her about everything and anything. She especially spoke about how proud she was of Alex. It was at this point that Gina got most upset and held Alexs' hand up to her face.

"Please Alex don't give up on me. I need you. I lost you once before and I'm not prepared to do it permanently." Gina sobbed.

Gina then felt Alexs' hand move slightly and her finger brushed across Ginas' cheek as Alex began to stir.

"Oh my God Alex." Gina said with overwhelming joy. "You're alright darling, you're alright" She said as she grabbed a passing nurse.

The nurse then went to find the doctor who was dealing with Alex. They removed the pipes and things from Alexs' nose and mouth. They made her comfortable and then allowed Gina back in to see her daughter.

"Hello Mum." Alex whispered. She sounded groggy and doped up.

"How do you feel?" Gina asked with concern as she sat next to her daughter.

"Like I've been kidnapped, beaten and then shot." Alex replied. "Is Smithy alright?"

"He's fine. He's here waiting for you with the kids."

Alex rubbed Ginas' face as she looked at her. "You look exhausted. Why don't you go home and get some rest?"

"Because I would rather be here with my daughter. You nearly lost your life, and I nearly lost the person who is more important to me than anything or anyone else. I'm going to get Smithy and Cara. She's really upset; in fact she's been pretty distraught most of the night." Gina said as she stood up. "I'll be back soon." She reassured her.

Gina walked up to where Smithy lay in the armchair.

"Smithy wake up." She whispered trying not to wake anyone else.

Smithy looked bleary eyed at whoever had called his name. When he realized it was Gina he sat up quickly.

"What's happened?" He asked as he tried to waken properly.

"Nothin'. I just want you and Cara to follow me quickly." She said as she gently woke Cara and carried her out of the room silently.

It took Cara a little longer to wake up than it did normally but she finally came round.

"Where are we going?" She asked grumpily at being woken.

"You'll see in a second." Gina said as she opened the door to Alexs' room.

Alex had been propped up slightly but was still attached to drips and machines. She was still awake and smiled when she saw her husband and daughter.

"Mum you're awake." Cara said as she almost lunged at her.

Smithy couldn't believe his eyes.

"Hello." Was all he could say as he embraced her in a, tight-as-I-possibly-dare kind of hug.

The doctor came in again to check on Alex.

"Well you're a very lucky woman Mrs Smith. We didn't think you were going to pull through but you've certainly proved us wrong." He said.

"When can I go home?" She asked. She was eager to get home to her family and pretend nothing had happened.

"Well that won't be for some time yet; but if you carry on making good progress, then it should only be a few weeks."

The doctor left the room to give everyone a little privacy. He told them that they weren't allowed to stay too long as Alex needed her rest.

"You should all go home and get some proper rest now. You know I'm fine and you can come back in a few hours." Alex said as she looked at her family.

"You're right." Gina said as she stifled a yawn.

Cara had already given in to it and had fallen asleep again next to her Mum. Smithy lifted her over his shoulder and carried her out.

"I'll see you later." He mouthed.

"Love you." Alex mouthed back to him. She then settled and went to sleep.

Eight weeks had past since Alexs' shooting and she was finally being allowed home. Cara wanted to throw a 'welcome home party' for her. It was a lot of fuss that she knew her Mum would hate, but she wanted to do it anyway.

They designed a banner and had balloons. Gina had cooked some finger foods and was laying them on the table. Smithy had gone to collect Alex from the hospital.

He had a large bouquet of flowers for her as she collected the last of her things.

"They're lovely Smithy but you shouldn't have gone to all that trouble for me." Alex said.

"What, go to all that trouble to show my lovely wife how much she means to me. You're right, I shouldn't have." He looked at her cheekily.

She playfully tapped him on the arm and gave him a kiss. He hugged her close and took in the smell of her hair. He felt so grateful that she had pulled through.

"Didn't think I was going to leave you, did you?" She said as she smiled up at him.

She needed help to walk and to move. She wasn't as mobile as she had been before but the doctor said she should make a full recovery. She would need lots of physiotherapy to get her mobility back; but she was expected to go back to work within a few months.

At home Cara waited excitedly for her Mum to come in. Davey was there with them as well as Smithys' Mum. Susan and Liz hadn't arrived yet but were due to arrive soon.

"Really makes you appreciate what you've got doesn't it?" Davey commented to Gina.

"Yeah it does. The thought that I could have lost her… I can't even think about it. She means the world to me." Gina admitted.

"She's very like you is Alex." Davey commented.

"Really? How do you mean?" Gina looked at him.

"Well she is the spit of you. She has your eyes; your lovely smile and your personality." He explained.

"What did you mean by that last one?" She asked mischievously.

"She's stubborn; opinionated; loyal; sarcastic and very loving." He replied.

Happy with the answer Gina said no more about it. She sipped her wine and waited for Alexs' arrival.

Opening the front door, Alex never felt so happy to be home. She walked carefully into the hall to see Cara standing in front of her. She carefully wrapped her arms round her and gave her the biggest hug she could manage. She then walked into the dining room to be greeted by the rest of her friends and family.

When everyone had a plate of something and a glass of something else in their hands, Alex stood up to make a short speech.

"I'm never any good at these things so I'm going to make it quick. I want to say thank you to you all. I don't think I'd be here now if it wasn't for you. The past few months have been hard and I'm sure the next few will be even harder so I appreciate your support. Right so soppy bit over. Everyone tuck in and enjoy." Alex said.

Outside Davey joined Gina sat out on the wooden decking in the back garden. He waited nervously until there was no one around.

"Um Gina… I know we've crossed this bridge once before but I wanted to ask again." Davey said nervously.

Gina looked at him confused.

"Recent events have shown me what's really important in my life or rather who is important in my life. It was always you I loved and wanted to marry and I know when I asked before you said no. I know why you said no but things have changed since then." He pulled out a small velvet box from his jacket pocket.

Alex was standing silently at the door. Her Mum and Dad hadn't noticed her standing there and had heard most of what they had said. She waited with bated breath for Ginas' answer.

Gina looked shocked at Davey. She hadn't expected him to ask that. She thought for a couple of minutes. Both Alex and Davey felt sure she was going to say no.

"I always said I never wanted to marry or get into any major commitment; but there's always one person who can slip under my radar. I guess it's always been you for me Davey." She explained.

"So what's your answer?" He asked impatiently.

"It's a yes Davey." Gina replied.

Alex felt shocked. She went to sit next to her parents as quick as she could.

"Eh hello, did I just hear that right or did you just ask her to marry you, and you just said yes?" She asked looking from one person to the next.

"Yes I did just ask her to marry me…"

"And yes I did just say yes." Gina smiled.

Alex thought for a moment.

"Well I guess there's not many people who can say they've been to their Mum and Dads' wedding." She laughed.

"No I guess there's not." Davey and Gina replied together.

**Well that's another story in the bag. Thank you to those who reviewed. Next story should becoming up shortly. Gina Gold getting married, who have thought it? lol. Didn't quite expect my mind to take me in that direction but still a nice happy ending.x**


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